As of 0232 GMT, the main Taiex index fell 0.4 per cent to 9,183.38 points, after closing down 0.4 per cent in the previous session.

TSMC shares were off 0.3 per cent mainly on profit-taking as the shares had risen about 30 per cent since May.

The world's largest contract chipmaker, which supplies chips used in Apple Inc's iPhone 7, raised its revenue forecast for this year after reporting quarterly records in net profit and revenue for the third quarter.

The electronics subindex sank 0.5 per cent, while the financials subindex lost 0.1 per cent.